"The Little Jerry" is the 145th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 11th episode for the eighth season.

The table reading for this episode took place on Sunday, November 24, 1996,[1] and the majority of this episode was filmed in front of a live studio audience on Wednesday, November 27, 1996 (a day before Thanksgiving).[1] It premiered on Thursday, January 9, 1997, being the first Seinfeld episode to air in the new year.[1]

Jerry goes to the bodega where his check is, and pays Marcelino what he owes. Marcelino, however, refuses to take the check down under "store policy." George goes to the women's prison, and meets the warden: Betsy (Kathryn Joosten), but is disappointed as to how tame and peaceful the building is. George then proceeds to ask "out" the prison's librarian, Celia (Andrea Bendewald), finding many pros with dating a woman who is in jail.

Kramer announces that he bought what he thinks is a hen (whom he named "Little Jerry Seinfeld") for its eggs, but later finds out that it is a rooster. Meanwhile, Elaine is thoroughly disappointed in Kurt's shaved head after seeing the hair he could have if he did not keep shaving it off. She persuades him to regrow his hair, but is even more shocked to discover that he is going bald. After a pep talk from George, Kurt soon proposes to Elaine in order to have as much time with her as possible before he goes completely bald.

Marcelino convinces Kramer to put Little Jerry in a cock fight, which he winds up winning. Marcelino then makes a deal with Jerry: he will take his check down only if he can have Little Jerry. Kramer strongly opposes this transaction, though. When George finds out that Celia is up for parole, he desperately tries to put a stop to it, judging that he interacts with her better when she is in prison. He succeeds in preventing her from getting the parole, but that does not stop her from unexpectedly breaking out. Celia is soon tracked down and arrested, and Kurt is also arrested after being mistaken for George because of his upcoming baldness.

Back at the cock fight, Little Jerry is faced with a huge and skilled opponent. Kramer dives after Little Jerry, trying to protect him, but winds up getting violently pecked (off-screen) by the opposing bird.

The final scene shows Elaine visiting Kurt in jail. He tells her he is given 10–14 months. Elaine realizes that by that time, he will be as bald as George, so she gives back the wedding ring, thus breaking up with him.

This episode was very well received. It gained a 23.0 Nielsen Rating and a 33 audience share, meaning that 23% of American households watched the episode, and 33% of all televisions in use at the time were tuned into it.[1]

After New York Mets reliever Frank Francisco made comments about the New York Yankees being "chickens", Francisco's teammate Tim Byrdak proceeded to buy an actual chicken and act like the Yankees sent it to the Mets clubhouse. The chicken was welcomed into the Mets clubhouse, and Byrdak named it "Little Jerry Seinfeld", inspired by this episode. The chicken was subsequently placed into an animal sanctuary.[3]